Antonio Guterres Calls for Urgent Gaza Ceasefire and Humanitarian Aid Boost
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued an urgent appeal on Sunday for an "immediate" humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an immediate escalation in humanitarian aid for the besieged Palestinian enclave under Israeli control. This statement was reported by Agerpres, citing AFP.
"I reaffirm the call, echoed by the entire international community, for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and an immediate increase in humanitarian assistance. However, a ceasefire alone would mark only the beginning. It will be a lengthy journey to address the traumas inflicted by this conflict," Guterres stated in a video address at an international donor conference held in Kuwait.
He had previously warned of a "colossal humanitarian catastrophe" in the event of a large-scale Israeli assault on Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
Conversely, a rocket launched from the Gaza Strip on Saturday night struck a residential building in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. Three individuals were injured in this attack on the Israeli city, located approximately 10 kilometres north of the Gaza Strip.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas began following the unprecedented large-scale terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, carried out by Palestinian militant commandos in southern Israel, resulting in at least 1,170 fatalities. An additional 250 individuals were taken hostage and transported to the Gaza Strip. The Israeli military retaliated with a bombing campaign, followed by a ground operation, targeting Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip. As per Hamas authorities, Israeli military operations have led to 34,971 fatalities and over 78,500 injuries among Palestinians until noon on Saturday.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
